Chapter 002: Lumina's Switching lives

Once Lumina slept peacefully in her massive mansion in the depths of the night, cushioned amongst her silk sheets and feather-down pillows. Amidst the tranquil silence, a desperate sob broke the calm. It was the sound of a little girl crying, a pitiful whimper that cut through the quiet like a knife.

Blinking sleepily, Lumina rubbed her eyes and caught sight of an apparition in her room - a little girl looking exactly like her but dressed in ancient, royal attire. It was the seven-year-old Lumina from the book Edward Agate.

"I don't want to live alone!" The princess cried out, tears glistening in her clear blue eyes, filled with terror. "My father...he...he killed my mother. And life...life here in the is worse now. Even the stale bread they feed us feels like a luxury."

Lumina rushed to the trembling princess with a throb in her heart, enveloping her in a tight, comfort-filled embrace. A sudden bold idea bloomed in Lumina's mind – a bizarre plan. She spoke softly to the little princess, "Do you...Would you want to switch lives with me? I live in the modern world, you know. I have parents maids, and I am a billionaire."

Silence unfolded like a veil. Blinking back her tears, the little princess looked at Lumina, her eyes wide with hope. Then, she nodded. That was it. A simple nod and their lives were traded.

Lumina suddenly awakened to a cacophony - cheering people, horses neighing, metal clanking, music playing. She blinked, realizing she was no longer in her plush bedroom but in a completely different world. She stood in the middle of a bustling crowd, dressed in ragged clothes, clutching a loaf of what looked like stale bread. It clicked then- she was in the world of Edward Agate, watching the grand wedding of the protagonists Edward and Evangelica from a spot amidst the commoners.

Lumina had agreed to the switch, but the reality of her decision sank in only now. She was now in the world of the book she had read, playing the part of seven-year-old Princess Lumina. A chilly breeze brushed against her face, awakening her senses. This was not a dream; this was her new reality.

In the blink of an eye, she had swapped her life of luxury in the modern world with a Time and Place filled with medieval simplicity and the hardships of the commoners. The stark contrast threatened to overwhelm her, but then she remembered the crying princess, the desperation in her eyes, and the relief when she agreed to switch to silent gratitude.

As the day bowed to give way to a radiant night, Lumina watched the moon from her spot in the streets - a poor commoner dwelling amidst idyllic simplicity. With a flicker of determination, Lumina promised to embrace this strange journey amid the bustling streets, the cheering crowd, and the echoing clangs of the medieval era. Bizarre as her new life may be, she knew she would revel in the beauty of unfamiliarity. After all, it was a consequence of Lumina's choice - to step into the shoes of another Lumina from a different world.

The end of Edward Agate hadn't been the end of the story at all, thought Lumina as she watched the starlit sky overhead. No, the story's true end was the beginning. And she couldn't help but smile at it all.